American Dipper

American Dippers nest along streams and are very picky about the nest site. The site must be safe from floods and difficult for predators to access. These requirements lead to few good nesting sites and this appears to limit the Dippers population.

Unlike most other songbirds, Dippers molt both their wing and tail feathers all at once in the late summer. They are flightless during this period.

In order to survive in the cold streams that they reside in, they have a low metabolic rate, extra oxygen-carrying capacity in their blood and a very thick coat of feathers.

Dippers have an extra eyelid called a nictitatin membrane that allows it see underwater.